


Nails Down Your Back Don’t Mean A Thing

by AnotherThing



Category: BTOB, VIXX
Genre: Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Violence, Sexual Content, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, neo-friendship, possessive Wonshik
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-25 02:48:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3793834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherThing/pseuds/AnotherThing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wonshik and Hakyeon have had this system in place ever since their pre-debut days. When the stress becomes too much, they use each other to get off and then get back to work. Their relationship remains uncomplicated; a lack of romantic intent on Hakyeon's part that Wonshik begrudginly accepts. Until the day Wonshik discovers that to Hakyeon, the rules he sets up are not to protect himself nor Wonshik; it's to protect what he has with someone else. And Wonshik can't handle it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

Wonshik and Hakyeon have had this system in place ever since their pre-debut days. When the leader feels that Wonshik has become too stressed, too overwhelmed to function properly, he helps the rapper 'blow off' some steam. The blow part being pretty literal, as Hakyeon’s version of helping involves mutual sexual relief.

 

It’s beneficial for both of them, seeing as they are hardly around anyone else (besides their own members) often enough to engage in any sort of relationship. They use each other to get off and then get back to work.

 

*****

 

Hakyeon often finds himself down on his knees in front of Wonshik; the other fucking into his mouth eagerly. Sometimes the rapper gets a bit rough and Hakyeon will scrape his teeth lightly against the younger’s cock in warning. Wonshik will slow down and try to behave himself but ultimately return to the same pattern of behavior time and time again. Hakyeon finds himself having to dig his nails sharply into Wonshik’s hips, pressing hard enough to leave crescent indents in his skin in order to get the other boy to behave.

 

He lets Wonshik come on his face. At the first tell-tale signs of the younger's impending orgasm, Hakyeon will pull off quickly and watch as the rapper frantically tugs at his cock and shoots his cum all over the elder.

 

Sometimes Wonshik ‘forgets’ to warn him and if Hakyeon isn’t paying carefully attention, the rapper will grab a hold of his head and try to hold him in place as the first few spurts of cum shoot out of his cock. Hakyeon always pushes him away angrily, pulling off the offending cock and glaring daggers at the rapper.

 

Wonshik always apologizes profusely afterwards, but he doesn’t hesitate to eagerly lick off the drops of cum staining Hakyeon's lips.

 

*****

 

Hakyeon and Wonshik rarely kiss each other. Instead, it’s Wonshik placing kisses to the leader’s neck and shoulders; lips tracing a path across his collar bone, down his chest, along the insides of his thighs.

 

Wonshik never leaves marks.

 

He’s not allowed to.

 

*****

 

Despite Hakyeon’s clearly set boundries against full on sex, Wonshik can’t help but try to fuck him.

 

*****

 

When Wonshik is feeling particularly bold, when he has Hakyeon naked and distracted, the rapper's fingers will find themselves slipping down the back of Hakyeon’s ass to slip between his cheeks. The other is usually too preoccupied to immediately notice the creeping fingers until they begin rubbing softly along puckered skin. Hakyeon will somewhat indulge his quests until he feels a light pressure against his hole; he will reach back huffily to pull the wandering hand away.

 

Wonshik will let out a puff of hot air, evidence of his frustration but will obligingly move his hand away from Hakyeon’s backside.

 

He doesn't stop trying though.

 

*****

 

Their arrangement continues throughout their post-debut years. The other members are seemingly unaware of the connection between the two, too caught up in their own affairs to notice anything significantly different between the leader and the rapper. Hakyeon makes sure to treat Wonshik exactly the same as he does the others, never overly indulging the younger.

Taekwoon, though, is well aware of what the other two are doing. It’s his lifelong friendship with Hakyeon that allows him to recognize their peculiar relationship. He notes that, whenever Wonshik is in a bad mood, Hakyeon will subtlety flock the rapper's side. The two will disappear for a few hours and when they come back, the rapper is in an infinitely better mood than before. Whatever bad mood he'd been in seemingly dispersed while in the Leader's company.

 

Taekwoon remembers Hakyeon offering to ‘help’ him deal with the stress, before Wonshik has arrived. He remembers declining the offer, convincing Hakyeon he didn’t need to offer himself in that way. Hakyeon had smiled brightly and given him a hug. Taekwoon recalls the warmth radiating off Hakyeon's skin as the elder had held him in a tight embrace; recalls the subsequent brotherly affection the elder had showered with him. 

 

Then Wonshik had come along.

 

Wonshik, who was (is) more tempermental, more petulant in his anger. Wonshik who somehow requires more of Hakyeon's attention, who needs to have more of Hakyeon's focus on himself. Taekwoon watches one day as Hakyeon pulls the rapper aside during pre-debut rehearsals and the two wander out of the practice room together. Over the next few weeks, Wonshik seems to find his stride and whenever his attitude starts to spiral downwards, Hakyeon pull him aside and 'take care of it'.

 

Post-debut Wonshik's attitude improves, albeit much to slowly for Taekwoon's pleasure. And to the older man's dismay, he recognizes the continued 'help' that Hakyeon offers the older.

 

Yet, whenever Wonshik curls his arm possessively around the leader’s shoulders, Taekwoon stays silent but remembers who it was that Hakyeon offered his 'help' to first.

 

And Taekwoon remembers Hakyeon's bright smile when he accepted his affections instead of his body.

 

*****

 

The members of Vixx and the members of BtoB were always particularly friendly whenever they met. They members of both groups genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and got along relatively well.

 

As it so happens, on this particular day, the members of Vixx find themselves in the company of the members of BtoB; both groups having found themselves promoting at the same time.

 

As usual, the two groups immediately flock to each other upon entering the waiting room; greeting one another and breaking off into small groups to chitchat. Hakyeon embraces both Eunkwang and Minhyuk, the two elder members of BtoB with whom he is the closest. Minhyuk holds onto him for a few seconds too long before releasing him. As he moves away, he whispers quietly into Hakyeon’s ear.

 

_Meet me in the furthest restroom down the hall in an hour._

 

When he pulls back, the usual smile is plastered on his face as he searches the other’s eyes for confirmation. Hakyeon silently communicates his affirmation and Minhyuk flashes him another brilliant smile before moving on to greet the other Vixx members. Hakyeon gets the feeling that someone is watching him and looks up to see Wonshik staring at him. He smiles at the other and turns back to greet the rest of the BtoB members.

 

He doesn’t notices Wonshik’s eyes flash with something akin to jealousy as he continues to give greetings.

 

*****

 

It’s ten minutes before their arranged meeting time and Minhyuk has already slipped away from the group, claiming to be in search of some phantom snack machine he saw when the entered the floor. At five minutes till, Hakyeon rises from his seat and excuses himself from present company. His own group members nod their heads in acknowledgement and he walks past the large spread of people without a fuss.

As he passes Wonshik, he notes that the rapper isn’t interacting with the others. He’s got his earphones in and is scrolling through his phone, effectively shutting out all possible conversation. Hakyeon frowns slightly and has half a mind to sit down next to the other, but then he remembers that Minhyuk is waiting for him.

 

With a last glace at the room, he takes his leave and shuts the door firmly behind him.

 

*****

 

As soon as he sets foot into the restroom, Minhyuk is pulling him inside and slamming the door shut behind him; making sure to lock it.

 

It’s a frantic mess of kissing and groping as Minhyuk tries his best to make Hakyeon lose control. It’s hands gripping hips, mouths pressed tightly against one another, hands roaming underneath shirts. It takes all of Hakyeon’s control to pull away from the whirlwind that is Minhyuk to take a few seconds to catch his breath.

 

“I missed you,” the other boy whispers, gently kissing the skin beneath his ear. Hakyeon smiles shyly and turns his head to meet the other for a long, passionate kiss. Minhyuk kisses him like it’s the only thing he knows how to do. He grips Hakyeon’s waist and the elder boy rests his arms loosely around the other’s neck. Their kisses begin to increase in urgency and Hakyeon makes a sound of surprise (which the other swallows) as he feels Minhyuk grab a rough hold of his ass with both hands and lift him. He wraps his arms and legs around Minhyuk, holding onto him as he’s carried over to the vanity mirror. Minhyuk gently sets him down on the counter and Hakyeon closes his eyes and rest his head against the other.

 

“I missed you too,” he whispers and pulls back to wait as Minhyuk frantically unbuttons his pants, slipping them down and off.

 

*****

 

In the end, Hakyeon ends up with hickies decorating his collar bone and the insides of his thighs, while Minhyuk walks away from the encounter with accidental scratches down his back. They kiss one another gently as they clean up, soaking up a few more moments of alone time before they head back to their respective groups.

 

Minhyuk decides to leave first, trying to help Hakyeon fix his appearance before the other shoos him away. With a final kiss, he exits first and heads back down the hall leaving the other alone to compose himself. Hakyeon checks his appearance once again; his eagle eyes scanning over his entire outfit, watchful for anything that could betray what he’d been doing for the last twenty minutes. He spots a not-quite visible hickie that Minhyuk left, a bit higher than the others, peeking out from the edge of his collared shirt. He quickly adjusts his outfit, effectively hiding it from sight. He still can’t believe the amount of love-bites he’d received from the other. It had been some time since they had been able to be with each other and Minhyuk definitely hadn’t held himself back.

 

*****

 

As he walks back into the waiting room and scans the area, he notices that one of his members is missing.

 

“Where’s Wonshik?” He asks, turning to face his group’s maknaes. The two are engaged in a conversation with BtoB’s youngest member, Sungjae, and all three pause in their conversation to stare up at him. Hongbin and Sanghyuk exchange a quick look before Sanghyuk replies to his question.

“Leo-hyung sent him to look for you about ten minutes ago. He hasn’t come back yet.” Hongbin nod his head, backing up Sanghyuk’s answer.

 

Hakyeon thanks them before walking away to take a seat next to Taekwoon, who somehow managed to procure an entire couch for himself. The second eldest member lets out a soft huff of air as the leader plops down a little too close to him. The small smile on his face however betrays his feigned annoyance and he shifts to accommodate the other boy.

 

The atmosphere in the room is jovial and Hakyeon rests his head against Taekwoon’s shoulder, closing his eyes and enjoying the other’s warmth.

 

*****

 

As the minutes tick by, Hakyeon begins to feel unsettled. Wonshik still isn’t back yet and their rehearsal time is fast approaching. Just as he is about to get up and announce his intent to go find his missing member, said rapper enters the room; a somewhat stormy look on his face.

Hakyeon immediately rises up from his seat next to Taekwoon and rushes to Wonshik’s side.

“Ravi-ah,” he begins, gently placing a hand upon the other’s forearm…

 

It takes mere seconds for everything to go to shit.

 

Before he knows what’s happening, he’s being roughly shoved away; stumbling backwards, away from the other. Unbeknownst to either Wonshik or Hakyeon, there is an empty folding chair behind them and the shove causes Hakyeon to trip over the abandoned object. The leader stumbles backwards, tripping over the chair and landing on his side hard. His left arm and shoulder slam down harshly into the floor, causing him to lose his breath with a harsh whoosh of air escaping his lungs.

 

A deafening silence falls over the room before chaos erupts.

 

*****

 

Taekwoon is up and out of his seat in seconds, grabbing Wonshik’s collar and roughly slamming him into the wall. Jaehwan springs up from where he was chatting with Hyunsik and Peniel to run over to the pair, rapidly talking at Taekwoon to try and calm him down while simultaneously shooting questions at the rapper as to why he just assaulted his own leader. Taekwoon ignores the other vocalist and roughly shoves Wonshik into the wall again. The rapper for his part is trying to shove against the brick wall that is the second eldest to no avail.

He’s fucked up and Taekwoon is there to makes sure he knows it.

 

*****

 

The maknaes from both groups were sitting chatting amongst themselves when they heard the commotion. At the sudden loud noise, the trio swing their heads around to find Hakyeon curled up on the floor. Sanghyuk and Hongbin are immediately on their feet, nearly tripping over themselves to hurry to his aid.

 

“Hyung!”  
“Hakyeon-hyung!”

 

Sanghyuk and Hongbin are horrified at the sight of their eldest hyung crumpled on the floor, clutching his left side. They both fall to their knees as they try to help their injured leader. Sungjae, who was sitting with them, followed right behind them without thinking and hovers anxiously, unsure how to be of help. He stares down wide-eyed at the fallen elder in shock before being pulled away from the scene by Ilhoon.

 

*****

 

Eunkwang, who was sitting with Changsub and Minhyuk, jumps in surprise as Hakyeon goes flying. He quickly gets over his shock and glances at his fellow member, taking note of how Minhyuk looks ready to storm over to the fighting Vixx members. Whispering instructions to Changsub to make sure that Minhyuk stays _on_ _this side of the fucking room_ , the BtoB leader moves to help the maknaes deal with their injured leader.

 

Hakyeon is propped upright, legs splayed out in front of him, leaned back against Sanghyuk’s chest. His eyes are squeezed shut as he clutches his left arm and he’s biting his lip hard enough to make it bleed. Hongbin is in front of him, worriedly running his hands softly across Hakyeon’s face, head, and neck, checking for any hidden injuries. He mumbles quietly to the leader, asking if anything hurts before moving to examine the other parts of his body.

 

Eunkwang glances at the battling Vixx members and watches as Wonshik and Taekwoon continue to shove at each other. Vixx’s second eldest isn’t budging and he slams Wonshik back hard enough to knock the rapper’s head against the wall. Their other main vocal is desperately trying to break them up, his voice rising as his panic increases.

 

Jaehwan’s pleas go ignored and Eunkwang doesn’t think anything could get through Taekwoon’s fury.

 

*****

 

Eunkwang turns back around when hears Hakyeon whimper in pain, and crouches down next to the maknaes and their leader.

 

“Hakyeon-ah,” Eunkwang whispers, reaching out to wipe the bangs away from the other leader’s face. Hakyeon looks back at him tiredly and speaks.

 

“Help me up, would you Eunkwang?” He manages to ask, voice as calm as he can make it, despite the fact that he was just assaulted by his own member.

 

Eunkwang nods and helps the Vixx maknaes to lift their leader and place him in a seat that is closer to the side of the room that the BtoB members were occupying. As the other is settled into the chair, Eunkwang sends Sungjae and Ilhoon away to get some water. The fewer people hovering around the room, the better. The two scurry away, holding on to each other’s arms as they pass Taekwoon and Wonshik.

 When the two are finally out of the room, he turns back to the youngest Vixx members and instructs them to remove Hakyeon’s jacket and dress shirt. The two don’t question his words, gladly letting someone else take charge of the situation. They work together to careful divest their hyung of his clothing, careful to avoid the bruises that have started to rapidly emerge on his skin.

 

*****

 

What the fuck was that?!” Minhyuk growls as he finally manages to break away from Changsub, who let him go after the other looked as though he might hit him if he didn’t. He moves swiftly to place himself in Hakyeon’s line of vision and carefully reaches out a hand to examine Hakyeon himself. Eunkwang shoots him a look as the other carefully cups Hakyeon’s face, turning it from side to side as if he’d be able to find any injuries the other’s had missed. Sanghyuk and Hongbin ignore him as they keep working to remove Hakyeon’s long-sleeved dress shirt. Hakyeon gives him a tired look and Minhyuk gently rubs the small spot of blood away from his bottom lip.

Eunkwang sighs and turns away to try and help Jaehwan diffuse the volatile situation between the two Vixx members currently shoving at each other. Hyunsik follows closely behind him.

Changsub and Peniel hover behind the others, unsure of what they can do to help. They watch as Minhyuk holds Hakyeon’s hand and presses a kiss to the side of his head after the maknaes finally get him out of his dress shirt. They glance at each other and come to the same conclusion that perhaps there’s something deeper going on than either of them realize.

 

*****

 

Ilhoon and Sungjae return with ice-cold bottles of water, running passed the fighting members and followed immediately by an entourage of managers and station crew members.

 

*****

 

“What the fuck is going on?!” Vixx’s manager shouts as he storms into the room, taking note of half of the Vixx members (along with a few BtoB members) engaged in a shoving match on one side of the room while the remaining Vixx members (alongside the rest of the BtoB members) are surrounding someone on the other half of the room.

 

A bulky station crew member helps the manager forcefully separate Taekwoon and Wonshik. He shoves the rapper at Jaehwan and tells him to go to the van. Jaehwan grabs ahold of Wonshik and drags the other out of the room, lingering at the door to briefly glance at Taekwoon and his manager. Manager-hyung growls his command at him once again, sending Jaehwan running out of the room, aggressively tugging a still worked up Wonshik alongside him.

 

Eunkwang and Hyunsik quickly retreat back to their side of the room, Ilhoon and Sungjae following right behind them, leaving the second eldest Vixx member to deal with his raging manager.

 

*****

 

 “Where the fuck is Hakyeon?! And what the fuck do you think you were doing just now?!” The manager growls at Taekwoon, who stares back at him stonily before opening his mouth. Before he can get the words out, Hakyeon’s weak voice calls out from the opposite side of the room.

“Ah, manager-hyung,” Hakyeon’s voice answers shakily from across the room. Both the manger and Taekwoon turn to look as the sea of BtoB and Vixx members parts to reveal a seated Hakyeon, clutching his left arm, bruises beginning to visibly form along his left side. He tries to rise from his seat but is quickly (but gently) pressed back down by hands from both his own members and the members of BtoB.

“What the hell?” The manager grounds out, rushing over to the seated leader, followed closely by Taekwoon. The BtoB members move away from the scene, back to the other side of the room where their manager is waiting for them. Minhyuk is the last to move away, making eye contact with Hakyeon before turning away to follow his own members.

The station crew members hurriedly usher everyone out of the room, leaving Vixx and their manager alone to deal with the aftermath.

 

*****

 

Hakyeon looks down and his lap as their manager and Taekwoon reach him, trying to shrink into himself as the manager rounds on Taekwoon for an explanation. Sanghyuk and Hongbin immediately jump up and try to simultaneously give their version of the events that transpired between their three hyungs to the manager but they’re talking over one another. Their manager none-to-gently tells them to quiet down and speak one at a time. Taekwoon leaves them to it and crouches down in front of Hakyeon, gently reaching up to wipe at the tears that are threatening to fall out of the corner of the leader’s eyes.

“I’m okay,” Hakyeon whispers quietly. His reassurance is betrayed by the sniffle he lets out, and he bows his head. Taekwoon stares at him silently before leaning forward to rest his forehead against Hakyeon’s, offering what little comfort he can to the other.

 

 

 

 

 

END PART ONE


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a thin line between love and jealousy. Wonshik and Hakyeon have a confrontation and arrive at an unexpected outcome.

  

 

 

When the manager dismisses the maknaes, the two immediately flock to Hakyeon’s side. Someone knocks on the door and when Hongbin answers it, a nervous looking staff member is standing there with a plastic bag filled with ice. He thanks the staffer (who scurries away as fast as possible) and goes back to Hakyeon and Sanghyuk. The bag is pressed against Hakyeon’s most serious looking bruise and the leader hisses as the cold nips at his skin. Hongbin apologizes but Hakyeon dismisses his apology and thanks him instead. He watches in silence as Taekwoon is interrogated by their manager, a frown etched on his handsome face as the questions keep coming.

Sanghyuk offers him one of the water bottles that Sungjae and Ilhoon had brought earlier. Although Hakyeon doesn’t need help with this, he doesn’t want make either of the maknaes feel bad so he lets them help. The two hover next to him as they wait for their manager to finish questioning Taekwoon. As soon as he dismisses him, the second eldest Vixx member is moving to stand next to Hakyeon. The manager makes a quick call to an unknown party and (upon hanging up) turns to address them.

 

“Hakyeon and I will be going to see a doctor as soon as the driver they sent from the company arrives. The rest of you are to go on with the rehearsal as scheduled. We will be back in time for the performance later. I’m going to go get Jaehwan and Wonshik now; you all stay put and don’t open the door for anyone else until I get back.”

 

The last sentence is said like a command and they nod their heads in affirmation as he stops talking. He nods at them and turns to walk out the door, but pauses halfway there. The four of them watch curiously as he spins back around and points a finger at their leader.

 

“Don’t think I don’t see those marks on you, Hakyeon. We will be talking about this later but for right now I need you to put your goddamn clothes back on. I can’t have anyone see you going around looking like you got both mauled and beaten,” he says sternly. Hakyeon freezes at his words while his fellow members stare at their manager in stunned silence.

 

Flushing in shame, Hakyeon quickly overcomes his shock and nods his head meekly. Manager-nim gives him another stern look and turns away to finally make his way out of the room. Hakyeon lets out a breath of relief as the sound of the door being firmly shut and slumps back in his chair. Sanghyuk and Hongbin exchange confused looks while Taekwoon moves to pick up the older boy’s discarded clothing. Hakyeon thanks him and tries to take the shirt but Taekwoon waves his hand away. He helps Hakyeon redress, being careful not to agitate the rapidly blossoming bruises on the eldest member’s skin.

 

“They aren’t as noticeable as he wants you to think,” Taekwoon whispers to him as helps Hakyeon to stand so they can get his jacket on. Hakyeon gives him a small, tight smile but doesn’t say anything.

 

*****

 

Wonshik is still trying to sort through all the emotions running through his head as Jaehwan drags him to where the company van is parked. When they finally reach the van, Jaehwan lets go of him and whirls around with an angry look on his face.

“Why did you do that?” Jaehwan questions, stern tone to his voice. There is an uncharacteristic harshness to his voice as he waits silently for the rapper to explain himself. Wonshik swallows hard and tries to gather his thoughts before he answers.

“I’m sorry hyung. I didn’t mean to cause Hakyeon-hyung any harm.” He answers, staring down at the ground, unable to meet Jaehwan’s eyes. He really hadn’t meant to be so rough; hadn’t meant for Hakyeon to get hurt. He just couldn’t take their leader touching him at that moment. Not after he’d seen the other boy emerge from the same bathroom that Lee Minhyuk had been in. The memory of accidentally stumbling onto the two of them, of hearing their passionate moans and seeing Hakyeon leave right after Minhyuk (clothing slightly rumpled, lips looking slightly bruised from the previous activities he’d just been engaged in) was still fresh in his mind.

“I can’t explain it hyung,” he replies, lingering sounds of bitterness on his tongue. He turns away from the main vocalist and clenches his fist again. Jaehwan frowns at him and puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it once. “Make me understand.” he says, voice low but stern. Wonshik doesn’t speak and the two stand in silence until their manager comes to fetch them.

 

*****

 

The performance goes on as scheduled despite the tense atmosphere between the group members. Hakyeon and their manager leave to get his injuries examined and return in time for them to go on stage together. After the performance wraps up, the entire group is whisked away quickly into a waiting van, forgoing the customary interaction with other idol groups and fans after the end of the show.

Once they arrive at the dorms, their manager orders everyone to their rooms except for Hakyeon. The Vixx leader is questioned about the earlier incident and (more thoroughly) about the origin of the marks on his skin not originating from the fight. Hakyeon refuses to tell him the identity of the other party and their manager becomes extremely upset. He orders Hakyeon to hand over his phone as punishment, pocketing the device and then directs him to fetch the others.

They are all going out for dinner, he reveals. All except Hakyeon and Wonshik, that is. The two are to be left alone to sort out their problems before the rest of Vixx and their manager return. Taekwoon tries to protest against the idea of leaving the two of them behind, but Manager-nim threatens him with punishment as well. Taekwoon would gladly accept the consequences but Hakyeon urges him to keep quiet and follow the manager’s request. The main vocalist glares but nods his head and follows the other members out the door.

*****

 

“I apologize, I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” Wonshik says quietly, avoiding eye contact with the older boy in front of him. Hakyeon sits on the couch in silence, contemplating the rapper’s words. He’s known Wonshik long enough to realize that although he had the capability of getting extremely angry, he wasn’t one to act violently. In all honesty, he was more shocked than hurt the moment that it had happened.

“I know. But why did you do it?” He finally asks, watching as Wonshik lets out a frustrated sigh and runs his fingers through his hair. He paces back and forth for a bit before coming back to stand in front of Hakyeon, a frown on his face.

“It’s just, I saw you with him. I heard you, and when you touched me later, I just couldn’t forget about it and I just reacted without thinking,” he confesses. He stares at Hakyeon, waiting for his reaction.

Hakyeon’s face pales and he swallows thickly. “Ravi-ah, what are you talking about?”

The other boy stares into his eyes and the next words out of his mouth confirm the feeling of dread that Hakyeon is feeling. “You and Minhyuk. I saw you.”

Hakyeon feels a wave of panic wash over him and he is quick to deny the accusation. “Wonshik, I don’t know what you think you heard or saw, but Minhyuk just happened to be using the restroom at the same time I was. He hit his shoulder against the wall while he was in there. That must have been what you heard.” He says, willing his voice to stay calm as he finishes his piece.

Wonshik’s face turns harsh for a second and he rushes forward, hand grabbing Hakyeon’s shoulders roughly. He lifts Hakyeon up off the couch and then uses one hand to yank down on the leader’s collar.

“Don’t lie to me Hakyeon. If you weren’t with him, then where the fuck did you get this?” He growls, voice laced with jealousy. Hakyeon struggles against his grip, trying hard to pry his hands away from his shirt.

“Wonshik, let go!” He commands, using his leader voice on the other. Hakyeon grabs onto the hand holding his collar and tries to get push the other boy away. Wonshik refuses to unclench his fist though and there is the sound of fabric ripping as he is pushed back. Hakyeon yelps as his shirt is torn and growls at Wonshik. He doesn’t seem to be listening and instead tries to lean in to kiss him. Hakyeon turns his head away, avoiding lip contact and Wonshik growls.

“What the hell are you thinking right now Kim Wonshik?!” Hakyeon yells at him, bring a hand up to quickly slap the other boy harshly. Wonshik’s head snaps sideways with the force of the blow and he lets go of the other’s shirt. Hakyeon huffs and inspects the damage to his shirt. As he looks down at the fabric, Wonshik seems to recover from his shock at the blow. He straightens up and looks at Hakyeon with a harsh look in his eyes.

“Does he really mean that much to you?” He grits out, clenching his fist at his side. Hakyeon stops fiddling with his clothing and looks at him coolly. “I told you,” he starts, voice hard but steady. “Minhyuk and I are friends. We just happened to be in the same place at the same time. That’s all there is to it.”

“Sleep with me then.” The younger says, throwing Hakyeon off. The leader stares at him incredulously and lets out a strained laugh.

“You must be joking. You just accused me of sleeping with someone else and now you’re asking me to sleep with you?” Hakyeon scoffs and walk around Wonshik to head to his bedroom. Wonshik follows behind him and as Hakyeon is about to open the door, he comes up from behind and wraps the older boy in a back hug. Hakyeon’s heart thunder in his chest as the other boy whispers an offer into his ear.

“If Minhyuk means nothing to you, then there shouldn’t be any problem with you sleeping with me. I’ll even tell manager hyung that it was me who left the marks on you,” Wonshik offers, voice sultry as he moves a hand to rub against Hakyeon’s stomach. Hakyeon’s breathe catches in his throat as he registers the words.

“Wonshik, I don’t think—” he starts, before he is roughly turned around and pushed up against the door.

“I could always tell the truth about what I saw. I’m sure Manager-nim would forget all about earlier if I happened to mention who I saw you with,” he says, eyes locking with Hakyeon’s, voice laced with jealousy. Hakyeon gives him a glare and they stand there for a moment, glaring at each other.

Hakyeon can’t believe how much of an asshole Wonshik is acting like right now. To actually threaten Hakyeon by using his relationship with Minhyuk is crossing a serious line. He has half a mind to reject him, despite the consequence. However, the more rational part of his mind is telling him to think about Minhyuk, and he wills himself to calm down. If he does this, it will be the first, last, and only time he will ever let Wonshik have him. For the sake of his and Minhyuk’s relationship, he can swallow his pride this once.

“You’re such an asshole,” he huffs out as he raises his hand to grab the back of Wonshik’s head and tug his lips down onto his. The other boy seems momentarily stunned but gets over his surprise and hungrily returns the kiss. They break apart as Hakyeon yanks back on his hair.

“Don’t make me regret this,” he says and opens the door behind him. Wonshik nods his head and follows the other boy into the room.

 

When the others return home, they find Wonshik fast asleep in his bed and Hakyeon in the shower. Hakyeon’s sheets lie in a bundle in the corner of his room, hidden out of the sight of the others. When they offer him food after he gets out of the shower, he gently refuses them and heads to his room.

 

*****

 

“How is he?” Eunkwang asks, as Minhyuk has finally emerges from the restroom.

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t answered any of my calls.” Minhyuk answers, frustration lacing his voice. Hakyeon hadn’t spoken to him since the incident at the television station a week ago. Ever since the fight, Vixx had been assigned to their own dressing room, far away from other idol groups. He’d only seen Hakyeon very briefly at the end of each show. He had run into Hongbin in the bathroom once, and when he asked about the older boy he had been told that Hakyeon wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without their manager in tow.

As he hits redial for the second time, he waits with baited breath, hoping that the other boy would pick up. He gets a busy signal again and hits the end button with frustration. Every call he’s made has gone straight to voicemail. Texting hadn’t gone well either. He moves to sit next to Eunkwang at the kitchen table and the older boy gives him a sympathetic look.

“Perhaps he’s just busy. He is the leader after all,” Eunkwang says, trying to console the other. Minhyuk lets out a sigh and places his phone face down on the table. Sungjae, who is sitting in the living room with Peniel and watching a movie, happens to overhear their conversation and comments offhandedly.

“He doesn’t have his phone with him. That’s probably why he hasn’t answered your calls.”

“What?” The two elders turn to look at him and Sungjae just shrugs his shoulders. Even Peniel looks at him curiously and Sungjae shifts uncomfortable in his seat for few seconds before giving a huge sigh and speaking.

“Sanghyuk mentioned it yesterday when he and I were texting. He said their manager decided to confiscate N-hyung’s phone when they got home after the show. Said he thinks that they got into an argument during the ride to the hospital and it had continued at the dorms. It was a punishment, I guess.”

“He went to the hospital? Is he okay?” Eunkwang asks, quickly glancing at Minhyuk. The rapper clenches his fist tightly but doesn’t say anything.

“I don’t know, Sanghyuk didn’t say anything else.” Sungjae answers, turning his attention back to the movie.

Eunkwang turns to Minhyuk and says to him reassuringly, “I’m sure he’s fine.” Minhyuk nods his head distractedly and heads to the kitchen.

 

Two hours later, he asks Sungjae for Sanghyuk’s phone number.

 

*****

 

Sanghyuk is in the middle of watching one of his animes when his phone rings.

 

He doesn’t recognize the number on the caller ID and debates whether or not to answer it. On one hand, it might be an important call. On the other hand, it might be some sasaeng fan that somehow managed to get a hold of his private number. Before he can make a decision, the phone stops ringing.

He stares at the phone in his hand before shrugging it off, placing it back face-down on the floor and goes back to watching his show. Before long, the phone begins to ring again. This time when Sanghyuk looks at the caller ID, he reads a familiar name. With a huff, he clicks the PAUSE button on his video and answers the phone.

“Yook Sungjae, I’ll have you know that you just interrupted—” He starts ranting but is interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

“Sanghyuk-ah?” The voice asks. The maknae freezes and looks down at his phone again to check the caller ID. It still reads Yook Sungjae. He shakes his head and presses his ear closer to the speaker.

“Who is this?”

“Ah Sanghyuk, this is Minhyuk, Sungjae’s hyung.” The voice answers, sounding somewhat embarrassed.

“Oh! Hyung! Sorry, I didn’t recognize your voice! What can I do for you?” Sanghyuk hurries to reply. He has never spoken to Minhyuk directly and is surprised that the other was actually calling to speak with him.

“Ah yeah, it’s me. Thank you for answering my call, even though I’m not Sungjae,” Minhyuk answers with a small laugh. “I was wondering if you might be able to tell me if Hakyeon is home. I haven’t been able to reach him lately.”

Sanghyuk nods his head, realizes that Minhyuk can’t see him, and then speaks his affirmation.

“Hakyeon-hyung is home right now. I think he may be in his room resting.”

“Ah…” Minhyuk’s voice trails off and he is silent long enough that Sanghyuk wonders if he has hung up or they’ve gotten disconnected.

“Sanghyuk, can you tell Hakyeon I really wish we could go to the beach together. Will you do that for me?”

Sanghyuk is confused for a moment. When had his hyung and Minhyuk gone to the beach together? He shakes his head in confusion but answers back.

“Sure thing hyung. I will make sure to give Hakyeon-hyung the message.” Minhyuk thanks him and hangs up. Once he’s off the phone, Sanghyuk stands up and walk out of his room to where Hakyeon is. He finds the leader of their group sitting up on his bed, going through a box of what appears to be folded pieces of paper. The door is ajar so he knocks first before entering.

“Ah Sanghyukkie, what can I do for you?” Hakyeon says, smiling at the younger boy brightly. Sanghyuk offers him a smile back but it quickly turns into a frown as he spots the fading bruises still adorning Hakyeon’s body. The tank top the leader is wearing does nothing to hide them from view. He still doesn’t know what caused Wonshik to react to Hakyeon so violently. The day after the fight, the two had acted as if it had never happened. It was strange.

“They’re almost fully healed.” Hakyeon comments suddenly, startling Sanghyuk out of his thoughts. He nods his head absentmindedly but then remembers his previous conversation with Minhyuk.

“Ah hyung, I just spoke to Minhyuk-hyung a little while ago.”

Hakyeon’s eyebrows raise in surprise before he carefully schools his face to display a cool look and responds. “Ah, did you? I wasn’t aware that you two talked.”

Sanghyuk nods his head. “He unexpectedly called me a little while ago. He said he couldn’t reach you, which is true since Manager-nim still hasn’t returned your phone. He told me he had been trying to get in contact with you for a couple of days now and asked me to give you a message.”

Hakyeon swallows hard and nods his head indicating for Sanghyuk to continue.

“He told me to tell you he really wishes you could go to the beach together.” Sanghyuk watches as his hyung suddenly blanches and looks away. Sanghyuk’s brows furrow and he is about to ask if the other is alright when his hyung looks up at him with a weak smile.

“Ah, thank you for delivering the message Sanghyuk,” he says quietly. The maknae nods his head but keeps eyes trained on the older boy. His hyung is staring down at the box full of folded paper in his lap, shoulders slightly hunched. Sanghyuk catches sight of an unfolded paper lying near Hakyeon’s side and what looks to be writing on it. Before he can contemplate it, Hakyeon looks up at him and speaks.

“Ah, Hyukkie, could you not mention this to anyone else,” he says. Sanghyuk blinks in surprise at the request but nods his head. Hakyeon gives him a small smile and moves to put the lid back on the box. Sanghyuk looks on in silence, observing his actions and suddenly realizes that he should ask if Hakyeon-hyung would like to borrow his phone.

“Ah, hyung, would you like to use my phone to call Minhyuk-hyung?” He offers eagerly, waving the device in his hand after he fishes it out of his pocket. Hakyeon looks surprised and for a second, Sanghyuk thinks he will say yes. Instead, his hyung bites his lip and shakes his head.

“Thank you for the offer Hyuk, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone now.”

Sanghyuk frowns at him but obediently turns away to give the leader some privacy. As he closes the door, he glimpses Hakyeon pick up the paper lying next to him and crumpling it in his hand.

 

The next day he takes Sanghyuk up on his offer and uses his phone to call Minhyuk.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

Minhyuk is laying on his bed back in the group dorm room and hovering on the verge of sleep; eyelids drooping, body falling into relaxation, when the sudden and shrill ring of his cellphone causes him to jerk awake. With a slight grumble, he gropes around his pillows to find his phone and hits the ignore button; an automatic response to receiving calls so late in the night. As the bright light of the phone dies (signaling the calls end), he blearily looks at the device, squinting through nearly closed eyes as he tries to decipher the caller ID. After struggling to make out the ID, he huffs and tucks the device back underneath his pillow (making sure to put it on vibrate). He’ll check it in the morning, he decides, unwilling to keep his eyes open any longer.

He almost doesn’t answer the second call that follows, but as his cellphone vibrates annoyingly beneath his pillow, he figures it must be important if the person is calling again so soon. With a groan, he retrieves his phone and hits the answer button.

 

“Yoboseyo,” he mumbles semi-coherently into the receiver, not bothering to check the caller ID. There is silence for a few moments and Minhyuk internally curses himself at the thought that he might have just been woken up by a prank call. The prolonged silence makes him huff again and he moves to hit the end call button; finger just barely bypassing the end button when a hushed voice suddenly comes through.

 

“Minhyuk,” the voice whispers. Minhyuk eyes fly open as he recognizes the man on the other end of the line. He immediately jerks upwards, nearly hitting his head on the bunk bed above his own, in his haste to adjust the phone against his ear.

 

“Hakyeon-ah?” He asks, disbelief coloring his voice. Hakyeon lets out a small chuckle on the other end of the line and Minhyuk can’t help the feeling of relief that floods through his body.

 

“You don’t know how grateful I am to finally hear your voice, I’ve been so worried! I tried calling you so many times, but every call just went straight to voicemail,” He rushes out, temporarily forgetting about his fellow sleeping group members. A loud snore from someone in the room quickly reminds him that it is well past 4am and everyone else is getting much needed sleep. Minhyuk quickly throws off his blankets and heads to the living room, settling himself on the couch as he listens intently for the other man’s response.

 

“Ah, manager-nim confiscated my phone after the incident last week as punishment.” Hakyeon confesses, confirming what Sungjae had said before. “I’m actually using Sanghyuk’s phone right now” he continues. Minhyuk makes a mental note to thank Vixx’s maknae the next time he runs into him and continues to listen to Hakyeon speak.

 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to call,” Hakyeon says, then pauses. “I really missed you, Minhyuk-ah,” he whispers, making the rapper’s heart thud painfully in his chest. He can’t quiet keep the emotion out of his voice as he quietly replies “I missed you too.”

 

*****

 

They agree to meet up at the old café they used to visit when they were both trainees. Hakyeon slips out of his dorm room quietly; feet light on the floor as he bypasses a sleeping Sanghyuk on the couch, and manages to put his shoes on quietly. As he stands up to head out the door, a soft touch to his shoulder and a whisper of his name nearly make him scream out in fright. He turns abruptly to find a sleepy-looking Taekwoon staring at him with dark eyes.

 

“Taekwoonie, what are you doing awake?” He whispers, as the taller man continues to stare at him. Taekwoon just shakes his head and reaches into the pocket of his pajama pants to dig out his phone. Hakeyon looks down at the device in his hand with a questioning look. The taller of the two shoves the device into the leader’s hand.

 

“Taekwoon…”

 

“Take it. Be safe on your way back.” Taekwoon says, giving his shoulder a final light squeeze before turning away and heading back to his room.

 

Hakyeon smiles to himself at his life-long friend’s actions, and heads out the door.

 

 

*****

As soon as he had hung up with Hakyeon, Minhyuk immediately headed back to his room to put on more reasonable clothing. He quietly woke up Eunkwang and (along with an apology) let his leader know where he was headed. The other had nodded his head in understanding and fallen back asleep just as easily as he’d been awoken. Minhyuk snorts but makes sure to tuck the blankets around Eunkwang before heading out of the room.

 

*****

Hakyeon is waiting for him when he finally makes it to the café, sitting quietly at a corner table inside the small establishment. His face lights up when he spots Minhyuk and he rises out of his seat to greet the other.

“Minhyuk,” he murmurs against the other boy’s ear as they embrace each other in a tight hug; Hakyeon’s arms wrapped around Minhyuk’s shoulder, the other’s arms wrapped around his waist. Hakyeon saying his name makes Minhyuk feel warm inside and he squeezes the other gently before letting go. The settle down and quickly give their order to the middle-aged waitress who comes to their table. With their orders in tow, the older woman departs, leaving them to privacy.

“I’ve missed your voice,” Minhyuk confesses, reaching across the table to take Hakyeon’s hand in his own. Hakyeon blushes and ducks his head down, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Minhyuk feels his heart beat increase at the sight and when Hakyeon gives his hand a tight squeeze, everything else fades into the background.

 

 

*****

 

Hakyeon and Minhyuk spend most of their time at the café catching up on the happening in each other’s lives. Minhyuk mentions something about a scheduled variety show appearance that the two groups are schedule for in the upcoming weeks and Hakyeon smiles as he recalls how their last joint variety appearance went. Minhyuk mentions the possibility of them sharing the same waiting room again and the older man gives a small laugh before growing quite. Minhyuk immediately notices the change and asks him what’s wrong. Hakyeon avoids his concerned eyes, instead looking off to the side as he bites his lower lip in concentration.

 

“There’s something I need to tell you.” He finally says, turning back around to face the rapper. Minhyuk grows concerned at the serious tone but encourages him to go on. “What is it,” he asks, giving the other boy his full attention.

Hakyeon’s face suddenly pales and he looks as if he might pass out. Minhyuk grows concerned and moves forward. “Hey, are you oka—”

“I slept with someone else.” Hakyeon suddenly blurts out, confession spilling from his lips. Minhyuk freezes, feels his heart drop into his stomach and looks at him with wide eyes. They sit in a tense silence for a few seconds before Minhyuk finally manages to find his voice.

 

“What are you talking about?” He asks, voice straining with barely concealed emotion. Hakyeon flinches at the tone, but nonetheless continues with his confession.

 

“Someone saw us that day at the station, when we met in the restroom. They offered me a deal; they promised not to say anything about us if I did what they asked. They threatened to tell manager-nim if I didn’t accept the offer. So I did. ” Hakyeon says quietly, looking down, unable to meet Minhyuk’s eyes.

Minhyuk swallows harshly as his mind races to process the words Hakyeon just said.

 

His lover just confessed to sleeping with another man.

 

The sting of betrayal hits sharply. He tries to wrap his mind around the fact that Hakyeon let someone else touch him; let someone else have him in the ways that only Minhyuk was allowed to. He hadn’t even been aware of anyone else in the vicinity. He’d just left Hakyeon by himself while he’d gone back to his group. To think that someone threatened Hakyeon, that he hadn’t been there to protect him. His stomach aches at the thought of someone using him against Hakyeon.

They sit in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Minhyuk watches as Hakyeon awkwardly takes a sip of his coffee and swallows around the lump in his own throat. “Who was it?” He asks, or rather croaks out, eyes locked on the older man. Hakyeon chokes a little on his drink at the question and Minhyuk waits with baited breath for his answer.

 

“Minhyuk, I don’t think—” Hakyeon begins before he is interrupted.

 

“Hakyeon, who was it?” He repeats, voice raspy but louder. Hakyeon closes his eyes briefly and inhales deeply, seemingly gathering himself before locking his gaze with the rapper’s own and responding to the question.

 

“It doesn’t matter who it was. It happened and there isn’t anything that either of us can do about it,” Hakyeon says, calmly but firmly.

 

Minhyuk sucks in a breath, and grits his teeth at the response. He is still thinking of what to say when a phone suddenly rings, interrupting their conversation. He glances down at his phone but discovers it isn’t his. When he looks back up, Hakyeon is pulling a phone out of his coat pocket and answering the call.

 

Minhyuk sits in silence, watching Hakyeon’s expression go tight as he speaks with the person on the other end of the line. He doesn’t hear the conversation, mind occupied by the emotions swirling inside his head at Hakyeon’s confession. He barely registers when the older man finally hangs up and gives him a sincerely apologetic look.

 

“I need to go; my manager knows I’m missing and is looking for me.” Hakyeon says, quickly gathering up his things. He opens his wallet and throws down enough money to cover both his and Minhyuk’s part of the bill and swipes his drink off the table. Minhyuk watches him silently, still trying to process the entire night’s events. He finally snaps out of his daze as Hakyeon rises up out of his seat.

 

“Wait, we can’t leave it like this,” Minhyuk says, desperately latching onto the older man’s free hand as he moves to pass him. Hakyeon gives him a sorrowful look and Minhyuk swallows down his words as the other man opens his mouth to speak.

 

“I can’t stay, Minhyuk. I can’t risk getting in trouble again. Right now manager-nim only knows that I snuck out. He has no idea I came out to meet with someone and if anyone tells him, the consequences will be worse than me having to sleep with someone else.”

 

Stunned by the statement, Minhyuk immediately release his hand. Hakyeon sighs and moves past the rapper, pausing to reach into his pocket and pull out a small piece of paper, which he places gently in front of the rapper.

“Goodbye Minhyuk,” he says as he walks out of the café.

 

 

*****

 

Minhyuk stares down at the table numbly, vaguely noting the folded paper Hakyeon had placed down in front of him. After a few minutes, he finally picks it up.

 

**_I’ll always love you, even if you can’t stand to look at me anymore.  
~ H.~_**

 

Minhyuk sucks in a breath and crumbles the piece of paper in his fist, bowing his head. When the waitress comes back around, he declines her offer of a refill and sits quietly, lost in his heartache. His fingernails form crescents in his skin as he clenches them tightly, a watery sounding “fuck” escaping past his lips as he tries to fight the stinging in his eyes.

 

 

*****

 

He’s still sitting there ten minutes later when Eunkwang calls to check on him.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who finally got over their writer's block? someone kick me in the ass the next time i take so long to update.


	4. chapter 3.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> small update to get things rolling again. actual full-length chapter update coming this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

Hakyeon makes it back to the dorm in record time, but that isn’t enough to avoid the verbal beat down Manager-nim delivers as soon as he sets foot inside the dorm.

 

“Where the hell have you been?! How could you even think about sneaking out at his hour?!” Manager-nim yells harshly, roughly taking ahold of Hakyeon’s shoulder and practically dragging him to the living room.

Hakyeon winces slightly as Manager-nim tosses him down onto the couch; body bouncing slightly from the impact. The sound of a door sliding open alerts him to the fact that the manager’s yelling has woken up his fellow members, much to his chagrin. He’d rather have gotten scolded in private, but Manager-nim seems to have lost his temper completely.

 

“Cha Hakyeon, if you don’t answer me right now, I’m going to drag you down to the CEO’s office first thing in the morning and tell him about your misbehavior and let him sort it out.” Manager-nim threatens, sending Hakyeon’s heartbeat into overdrive. He gulps down a breath as he stares into the older man’s face, mind working hurriedly to try to find a way out of this situation. He’s never been threatened with having to face the CEO about his behavior and he finds himself out of options, having nothing else to say except the truth.

 

Taking in a calming breath, he steels his nerves and addresses Manager-nim.

 

“Hyung, I’m sorry for sneaking out but I needed to take care of something and it couldn’t wait.” He says, making sure to keep his eyes steadily trained on the older man’s face. Manager-nim gives him a disbelieving look and retorts, “What are you talking about? What was so urgent that you needed to go off alone to do?”

 

Ignoring the ugly look the older man gives him, Hakyeon continues with his speech. “That thing we spoke about on the drive back from the hospital; I…I went to take care of it,” he rushes out, hands clenching in his lap as he waits for the older man to respond.

 

Hakyeon watches quietly as Manager-nim finally catches on to what he means. It shuts the older man up momentarily and he stares down at Vixx’s leader with a look of uncertainty.

 

“Are you absolutely sure?” The older man asks, pinning Hakyeon down with a hard stare. Hakyeon swallows down a shaky breath but manages to get out a steady “Yes.”

 

Manager-nim nods his head in approval and pats Hakyeon on the shoulder before telling him to go to bed. Hakyeon mumbles an affirmative and makes his way to his bedroom, where a silent Taekwoon waits for him on his bed. Once the door is closed, Hakyeon finally lets out the sob he’s been holding in and joins Taekwoon, who embraces the elder and offers what little comfort he can to his life-long friend.

 

Taekwoon manages to lay them both down on the small bed and lets Hakyeon cry his eyes out into the younger’s nightshirt.

 

 

 

 


	5. Part 4

 

 

 

Minhyuk doesn’t hear a word from Hakyeon after the other boy leaves him. When he gets back to the dorm later that morning, Eunkwang is sitting up at the kitchen table, cup of coffee in hand.

 

*****

 

“You okay?” The older man asks, voice still groggy with sleep. He takes a drag from his coffee cup and waits for Minhyuk to respond. The rapper’s prolonged silence causes him to look up from his cup. He takes one look at Minhyuk’s disheveled self gets up to herd the younger man to their sofa.

“What happened?” He asks, concern lacing his tone.

  
Minhyuk stares at the ground with slumped shoulders and remains tight-lipped for a moment before answering.

 

“He broke up with me,” he whispers. 

“WHAT?!”

 

Eunkwang shouts, forgetting about the other sleeping members in his shock. Minhyuk claps a hand against his mouth and hushes him. Eunkwang’s eyes widen in realization and he nods his head in comprehension. Minhyuk nods his head and removes his hand. Eunkwang quickly starts whisper-shouting questions at him about Hakyeon.

“What happened? Why on earth would you two ever break up? You’ve been stuck together like glue going on two years now. I don’t understand.” Eunkwang stares at the other with disbelief painting his features, eyes wide and his mouth slightly hanging open after his long-winded statement.

Minhyuk turns away from the other man and stares down at the carpeted floor, biting his lips as he gathers the words up. It’s one thing for Hakyeon to have confessed his actions to him; it’s another thing to tell someone else about his (ex) lover’s doings. He considers keeping it to himself for a moment, but realizes that he’d eventually break down and his closest friend anyway. He takes a deep breath, exhaling heavily before facing the other man and confesses.

  
“He cheated on me,” he says quietly.

“Hakyeon did what?!” Eunkwang whisper-screams, causing Minhyuk to hush him once again. This time Eunkwang covers his own mouth as his eyes remain wide with shock as he stays at Minhyuk. The pair remains quiet, straining their ears to listen for any sign of the other members waking up. When none is heard, Eunkwang uncovers his mouth and mutters out an apology.

  
“Sorry,” the older boy whispers before prompting Minhyuk to continue.

  
“Hakyeon… told me he slept with someone else. But that’s not the worse part of it,” the rapper continues. Eunkwang wonders what could be worse than finding out directly from the person you love that they cheated on you. He waits with a dreadful sense of anticipation as Minhyuk bites the bottom of his lip, nearly causing it to bleed.

 

“Minhyuk?”

 

“He fucking did it to protect me. Someone saw us and fucking threatened him! Told him they’d tell someone unless Hakyeon agreed to sleep with them and he fucking did it! He fucking slept with someone else to protect me!” Minhyuk finishes, voice going wobbly as tears begin to sting his eyes.

  
Eunkwang sucks in a breath as he takes in the younger’s words and places a careful hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder.

  
“I don’t know what to say,” he says quietly while rubbing the rapper’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  
Minhyuk just nods his head as his tears finally begin to fall. He leans into Eunkwang as the older boys wraps an arm around his shoulder and cries.

 

*****

 

Later that morning, after finally having exhausted himself into a fitful slumber, Eunkwang tells the other members to let him be. The other members look at him curiously but wisely decide to keep their questions to themselves.

Minhyuk sleeps the entire day. When he wakes up (still dressed in his outfit from earlier) he shoves his hand into his pocket looking for his cell phone. His fingers accidentally brush against a paper, and with a quick intake of breath, he realizes what it is.

 

**_I’ll always love you, even if you can’t stand to look at me anymore._ **

**_~ H.~_ **

 

He stares down at the note from Hakyeon and clenches it in his hand. He rises up from the sofa and heads to his bed, reaching underneath it to reach a small shoebox hidden at the back of the bed. He takes the crumpled note and carefully smooths it out again. It quickly joins the other scraps of paper he’s collected over the years from Hakyeon, safely placed into the box. Minhyuk spots a polaroid mixed in with the papers and picks it up. It’s a picture of Hakyeon, his eyes sparkling with barely withheld laughter. Minhyuk remembers taking when they first started dating.

  
His eyes stare down at the photo as a feeling of liquid hot anger flows through his veins. He’s not going to let anyone take away Hakyeon’s happiness. He’s going to find out who drove the older man to taking such drastic measures to protect them and he’s going to make them pay for hurting Hakyeon.

He carefully places the polaroid back into the box and moves to hide it back underneath his bed.

 

Like hell is he gonna let anyone take Hakyeon from him.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writer's block is a hell of a thing kids. sorry for disappearing on ya'll.

**Author's Note:**

> As per usual, if you find any glaring mistakes, grammatical or otherwise, please let me know asap! Also, if something just doesn't make any sense at all, let me know as well!
> 
> ETA: Insert Standard Disclaimer Here


End file.
